The First Time
by HellonHeels44
Summary: Just a little tid bit about the first time Andy saw Sharon. More chapters to follow.
1. Chapter 1

Andy squatted on the stationary bike, concentrating on the floor as he pedaled as hard and fast as he could. It had been an immensely frustrating week at work with a double homicide and chief up his ass about one too many nights out. It was hot and his heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest, but something about the exercise felt good. When his brain was tired the physical challenge was always welcome; if he exhausted his body as much as he exhausted his mind he might be able to find a moment of quiet somewhere between the bad guys and the booze.

As his work out came to an end and the bike beeped at him to begin his ten minute cool down, he finally relaxed and sat all the way down on the bike seat. He grabbed his hand towel off the handle bar and wiped the sweat from his brow, looking up at the line of treadmills in front of him for the first time since he got on the bike. Andy couldn't help the smirk that crept across his face as his eyes settled on the back of a lithe frame running on the machine directly in front of him.

She wasn't very tall but she was certainly fit. Her spandex running tights hugged her in all the right places and her curly auburn hair bounced halfway down her back with every step, even though it was tied up in a high ponytail. She had headphones on and seemed oblivious to the world as she ran hard. This was the first time Andy had ever seen her and he liked what he saw. As he watched her he noticed the back of her shirt was darkened with sweat, hugging her midsection even more than it normally would if it were dry. She must have been running in front of him for a while.

The bike came to a stop and a summary of Andy's work out flashed on the screen. He sat and scrutinized it, not wanting to leave for fear of somehow missing her without talking to her. She'd never been here before-he didn't want to miss his chance in case she never came back. He studied his miles biked, calories burned, and hills climbed closely as he watched her run out of the corner of his eye. He really didn't want to do another work out, but if he had to jump on the treadmill next to her, he would.

A few minutes later, admitting defeat, Andy stood and collected his things. He grabbed his water bottle and towel and slid off the bike. As he began to walk away, the little redhead stopped the treadmill and stepped off of it, stretching her arms as she stood next to the machine. Her hairline drenched with sweat and her face glistening, she pulled her t-shirt off over her head and wiped her face with it, revealing a perfect mid section clad in only a sports bra now. Her abs weren't chiseled, but they were there. She seemed to be in her mid thirties, and her face was even more beautiful than her body. She threw the shirt on the belt and bent over to stretch her legs, allowing for Andy to see straight down her sports bra. There wasn't an inch of her that wasn't impressive. Tired and oblivious to the man ogling her, she grabbed her things and headed away from the machine. As she looked down at her sports watch she ran straight in to Andy's chest with full force.

'Shi-sorry. I didn't see you," she apologized quickly, bending to pick up the things she'd dropped. Her voice was pleasant. There was something graceful about it, but she sounded tired. Andy smiled and grabbed her water bottle off the floor, "Its no problem. I was the one in the way. Shouldn't have uh... been stretching in the aisle."

Sharon smiled and grabbed her water bottle, "Yes, you're right..probably not the brightest idea." She reached up and pulled her hair out of the pony tail, allowing the fiery curls to fall over her shoulders and down to the bottom of her rib cage.

"Forgive me. Perhaps I'm not very bright." Andy's tone was mischievous; flirtatious, as he handed her her water bottle.

Sharon smiled at him and rolled her eyes, "I'm Sharon. I'm sorry I ran in to you-and then insulted you. I get a little cranky after running for an hour."

Andy held his hand out and grinned even wider at her. "I'm Andy. You part of the force, or just abusing someone else's gym privileges?"

Sharon began to walk as they talked. She was hot and tired and had two kids to get home to-besides, the baby sitter got upset when she was late. "LAPD, tried and true." Andy nodded, following her out like a puppy. "Nice, nice. I work in homicide."

"Ah, so a detective, then?" Sharon raised her eyebrows, grabbing for the door handle to the women's changing room. "Well-I trust you can figure out which department I'm in on your own, then. Now, unfortunately, I've got to run."

Andy nodded and moved so she could make her way through the changing room door. "Well, it was lovely to meet your Sharon..and the next time I'm looking for a little mystery to solve at work, perhaps I'll find you there."

Sharon smiled. It had been a while since anyone had hit on her, and with her husband three years gone, the attention was nice, but she didn't know what to say. Instead of making an ass of herself, she decided to play it safe. "You do that. Goodnight, detective."

She gave him one last backwards glance and sashayed in to the changing room, her long auburn curls bouncing behind her.

Andy sighed. He already knew he was hooked.


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter of a story from the prompt 'The First Time' over at the RaydorFlynn LJ. Hope everyone enjoys!

Sharon laid in bed, wide awake. Her daughter was cuddled next to her, her tiny toes poking in to Sharon's rib cage as she slept against her Mom. She knew she was working too much. It seemed like the only time she got to see the kids was when they were asleep with her in her bed. It made it hard to sleep-all she wanted to do was watch them as they drifted in to their dreams. Three years felt like an eternity alone but every day she still felt like she was adjusting to being a single Mom. Sighing heavily, she wrapped her arms around her little girl and closed her eyes, trying to shut her brain off.

As she lay there in vain, trying to find even a wink of sleep, the detective she'd met at the gym earlier in the week kept creeping in to her thoughts. He seemed a little slimy, but god he was handsome. And polite. And maybe not slimy at all..or was he? Sharon couldn't decide what to think of him. All she knew was that she'd pretty much constantly thought of him since she ran in to him. She allowed herself to think of him for a moment, to allow her thoughts to settle on his sweet face, before falling in to a restless sleep.

-

Sharon sat at her desk, exhausted beyond belief. The kids had been up since five and she had more reports on her desk than she knew what to do with. She sighed heavily and took a sip of her coffee; there was nothing she could do but continue on with her day. As she stacked the reports, she noticed a single leaf of paper sitting on top of a stack sent over from homicide. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she pulled the memo off the stack:

Told you I was a detective...and a good one at that. IA? I struck you as something different. Coffee at 4? Please say yes. I'll be in the court yard.

Damn, he was smooth. Sharon read over the memo three times before she folded it up and shoved it in her hand bag. Coffee at four meant skipping the gym, but maybe she could do without it for just one day. She allowed her thoughts to linger on the memo for just another moment before getting back to work on the huge pile of reports strewn across her work space. God, it was going to be a long six hours to four o'clock.

-  
Andy sat on a bench in the court yard just outside the main offices for the LAPD. He didn't know if she was going to show or not. He was almost frustrated with her- since that day at the gym she was all he could think about. It had taken him a good four days to figure out which department she was in, and he'd probably devoted too much time to the cause, but he just had to see her again. It was odd, what she did to him. She was the first thing in a long time that kept him from drinking; looking through employee files after his shift was over meant he spent more nights in the records room than at the bar this week. He had to admit, it felt good.

"Hey there, detective." Her voice echoed softly through the courtyard as she stood behind him. It was sultry, inviting. He liked the sound of it. He smiled softly and stood, turning around to face her.

Her hair was down, her curls spilling over the shoulders of her black skirt suit and down her back. She had a single string of pearls around her neck and was holding her black patent leather work bag against her side. Her heels matched her bag perfectly and she was immaculately manicured. As good as she looked half clothed in gym attire, she looked even better in a business suit.

"Well, hello there, lieutenant." He grinned as he walked toward her, "Did you come to let me down easy, or can I take you for coffee, Sharon?"

She had to smile at his request. There was something pleading in his voice, like a kid begging for candy. "I only have an hour and a half... but I'd like to go to coffee, Andy." She moved closer to him, looking him up and down as she did. He looked better than last week-more well rested or something. She couldn't quite place what it was; maybe she was just remembering him wrong. He just seemed...healthier than he did on their first encounter.

Andy placed a hand gently on the small of her back, barely touching her as he led her through the courtyard and out to the main road. The coffee shop was just at the corner of the street, but he wondered if she'd be able to make it in her impossibly high heels. They walked quickly, making small talk as best they could amongst the noises of the bustling city. Once inside the shop, Andy ordered two coffees and lead her to a quiet back corner.

"So, internal affairs, huh?" he smiled, sitting down in a leather chair opposite her, a small table separating them. Sharon nodded as she sipped her coffee. She had to admit, an adult coffee break was more relaxing than the gym. She sat her coffee down on the table and placed her hands in her lap, fiddling with one of her nails.

"Yes, IA. Its a good place to work, I guess. Safe."

Andy eyed her. She didn't seem the type to play it safe. She seemed too bold for that. "Safe, eh? Forgive me for asking, but if you wanted safety why'd you become a cop, lieutenant?"

Sharon pondered his question before answering. She wasn't used to sharing the intimate details of her life anymore, but if this man was interested in her he deserved to know she was a single Mom. If he didn't like that he wouldn't be worth her time anyway.

"Babies. Two of them. I wasn't always in IA...but after I had them I wanted to know I'd return home to them in one piece every night. IA isn't perfect, but its what I need right now."

Andy sat back in his chair. Kids always complicated things. "Babies come with husbands usually. Should I be worried?" he smiled softly, hoping she wouldn't be offended.

Sharon grunted and looked in to her coffee cup, "No, no worries. No husband." She looked up to judge his reaction and smiled at him, hoping kids weren't a deal breaker.

"That's good to hear. I don't blame you for switching to IA. You're obviously a good Mom, to put them first like that. How old are they?"

Sharon set her mug down and crossed her legs, leaning in to the table. "My son is six and my daughter is four. They're a hand full, but I wouldn't trade them for the world. What about you? Do you have kids, Andy?"

Andy shook his head. "Nah, no kids. The ex and I didn't get along long enough for that to happen." He said it quietly, jokingly, but Sharon could see that the question had bothered him. She fiddled nervously with her mug, trying to think of something to change the subject. "So do you like homicide?"

Andy nodded-now that was something he could comfortably talk about. "Yea, yea I do. Its rewarding work when justice happens the right way. Every day is different... its uh..its good. I can't imagine doing anything else right now."

Sharon felt a pang of sadness. She missed the excitement of working in investigation. Internal affairs was certainly safe, but it was also boring an awful lot more than it was interesting. Andy caught a glimpse of her as she bit her lip, lost in thought. She was refreshingly pretty.

"You going to stay in IA forever, or you think you'll do something else when your little ones aren't so little any more?" Sharon bit her lip harder as she thought. She genuinely didn't know. The last three years she'd been so caught up in just trying to survive, she hadn't put any real through in to her career. She was just happy to have a job that meant she could care for the kids.

"You know..I haven't thought about it. I guess eventually I want to go back to..something else. I miss investigating. I just can't put myself in that danger as their only guardian."

Andy sipped his coffee and nodded. It was admirable that she was so concerned about being there for her kids. So few people were these days, it seemed. "That's very admirable of you, Sharon, really. ... I can tell you stories about homicide some time if you ever need some excitement." He flashed a school boy smile, winking at her as he set his coffee mug down.

"Oh, you think you can provide me with some needed excitement, huh?" Sharon laughed quietly, raising her eyebrows at him, "well, I look forward to that, detective."

Andy blushed a little. He didn't expect her to flirt like that, but it was cute. "I'd certainly like to, Sharon." he ran a finger along his lips as he looked at her. Seeing her the first time, he knew she was attractive. Seeing her a second time only confirmed how beautiful she was and how much he wanted to know her.

Soon enough they had talked for a whole hour and a half and it was time for Sharon to get home. She finished the last of her latte and grabbed her handbag. "Andy...this has been really fantastic. I had a great time."

Andy stood and offered her his hand to help her stand. She took it and stood. He grinned at her and gave her hand a soft squeeze, then led her away from the table, not letting her go. "I'm glad you had a good time. I did too, Sharon. Talking to you is great.. that hour and a half felt like ten minutes."

Sharon couldn't help but smile. She was walking with a painfully handsome man who had just bought her coffee and now he wanted to hold her hand. There was something sweet, something innocent about him. It was obvious he was trying to court her, and she loved every minute of it. "I have to agree. Its a shame I didn't have more time, I'm sorry."

Andy stopped at her car, but didn't let her hand go. "Can I take you to dinner? I will clear my schedule any night you can get a baby sitter-or if that doesn't work for you, I'd be happy to bring dinner to your place for you and your kids, or you three could come to mine." Sharon smiled and squeezed his hand again.

"Dinner would be great. I'll get a sitter. The kids are so young... they like to latch on to new people. We wouldn't be able to talk." She enjoyed the warmth of his hand against hers. It was nice to have human contact again with someone who wasn't her kid.

"Great...I'll give you my card and you can just let me know whenever you can get a baby sitter, then." Sharon nodded, then reached in her hand bag for her car keys. It was difficult to find them with one hand, but she didn't want to let his go. After she found them she opened her door and threw her purse inside on the passenger seat. Andy smiled at her, not wanting to say goodbye to her.

She squeezed his hand one last time and moved in for a hug. Andy wrapped his arms around her and enveloped her. He made her feel small, secure, safe. It was a nice feeling. After a moment they let each other go, both feeling the tension but neither one ready to make a next move.

"Well.. I will give you a call tomorrow about the sitter."

Andy nodded, playing with the tips of her fingers as he listened to her speak. "Great, good. I suppose I will let you get home to the kids, then."

"I had a really great time, Andy. Thank you."

Andy smiled, then brought her hand to his lips. He kissed it gently and gave it one last squeeze. "Me too, Sharon. I can't wait to see you again."

Andy and Sharon parted ways and got in to their cars, both happy with how the evening had ended. Sharon looked in her rear view mirror and watched Flynn drive away, then followed suit. She smiled almost all the way home, absolutely on cloud nine.

It had been so nice to finally be noticed again.


	3. Chapter 3

"Red or white?" Andy looked at Sharon, waiting for her to respond. She smiled, tapping her fingernails on the bar where she was sitting, across from Andy as he stood in his kitchen.

"White, please."

Andy nodded and poured her a generous glass of white wine. His house was nice. Small, but tidy and fairly well decorated for being a bachelor pad. Sharon took a long sip. She was wearing a strappy black dress that looked like it was hand made for her. Her hair was tied half up and half down and she had slipped her black pumps off in the entry way. She looked stunning. It was hard for Andy to concentrate on making dinner-all he wanted to do was stare.

"Your house is nice... and much cleaner than I expected." Sharon giggled, looking around at a few pieces of art on the wall.

Andy shook his head, stirring a pot as he looked back at her, "Ya know, we may be half neanderthal, but some men DO have a little bit of style."

Sharon took another sip of her wine and stood. She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind. It made her nervous, but she felt compelled to touch him. So far, going with her instincts in regards to Andy was working for her. Andy tensed, not expecting her touch. He let out a soft sigh, then set the spoon down in the pot.

"Hey there, gorgeous." he growled quietly, turning around to face her.

"I didn't meant to insult you. I'm not shocked you have style. Your house is nice." She had to tilt her head up to look him in the eye from this close. She didn't realize how much taller than her he was when she didn't have her heels on. Andy's hands rested on the top of her backside, gripping her hips gently.

"You didn't insult me. I appreciate the compliment." He grinned at her for a moment, then kissed her on the forehead. He wanted to kiss her on the lips, but maybe it was too soon. Sharon leaned in to him, resting her head on his chest. He rubbed his hands up and down her back, feeling her curves through her tight dress. Everything about this moment felt perfect.

"We can sack dinner and just do this all night. Otherwise, I need my hands back to finish your food, lieutenant." His lips brushed her hairline as he spoke.

"Fine, fine.." she pouted, letting him go, "but I fully expect a rain check, detective Flynn." She moved back to the bar and sipped more of her wine, happy with the way the evening was going. The kids were with their godmother, which meant Sharon could feasibly spend the whole night with Andy if she'd wanted to.

Andy finished with the dish on the stove and checked a few things in the oven, then turned his attention back to the little red head sitting at his bar. "Should be done in about twenty minutes. Want to go sit on the deck? The sun should be setting soon, its a great view."

Sharon stood and grabbed her wine, wrapping her other hand around his arm so he could guide her outside. "That sounds perfect."

Andy led her through the dining room and kitchen and out on to a small deck that overlooked the beach. How he'd gotten this house, she didn't know. It really was small, but the location was beyond perfect, and in Los Angeles perfect meant pricey. For some reason, she just didn't take Andy to be the super wealthy type, but maybe she was wrong. If everyone was right about their first impressions of her, she'd likely be a bitch and a snob more than anything else.

"How long have you lived here?" she muttered quietly, settling in to an over stuffed lounge chair. He was right, the view was gorgeous.

Andy sat back in his own chair, but was focused on anything but the sunset. How he'd gotten lucky enough to land even one date with this woman, much less two was beyond him. She was perfection incarnate. "Ah, it was my aunt's. When I moved here from the east coast and was just starting out on the force, she rented it to me. She passed about five years ago, so I got it. Pure luck. This neighborhood is ridiculous now."

Sharon nodded. Her Los Feliz condo had cost her a pretty penny. Beachfront property had to be at least four times what her own home cost. "Its beautiful. Such a lovely little bungalo. I feel like I'm on vacation." She finished her glass of wine and set it down on the table, between them, then reached for his hand.

Andy grinned shyly and took her small hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Well, you're welcome to come vacation here any time you want, beautiful."

Sharon returned his squeeze and closed her eyes, clearly relaxed. They sat in silence for a moment as Sharon got lost in a daydream and Andy got lost in watching her. Finally, he cleared his throat. "So, these little Raydors. Tell me more about them."

Sharon opened her eyes. Talking about her kids made her nervous for some reason. "Oh, uh. Well. My son, Will, is six. Sofia is four. They're umn...high energy." she laughed quietly, picturing their little faces in her mind. Andy smiled at her, wanting to hear more.

"I can imagine they keep their mother very busy. Is Sofia in school?"

Sharon nodded, "yes, preschool. I've got a nanny for them in the afternoons."

Andy nodded, thinking. "Well...I know this is new. I like you a lot, Sharon, and I want to keep getting to know you. I'm sure you're feeling protective over them, as any good Mom would, but know that I know that you're a package of three, and I'm good with that."

Sharon was completely taken aback. Not knowing his stance on her kids was definitely causing some pressure for her. It was like he'd read her mind and told her exactly what she needed to hear. She looked at him for a long moment before speaking. "Thank you, Andy. I can't begin to tell you how relieved I am to hear that."

Andy got up and sat on the edge of her chair, pushing her hair out of her face. "There's just...something there with you, kid. The fact that you're a Mom just makes you that much more interesting."

Sharon smiled and rested her hand on his thigh, thrilled with his response. "Thank you. It makes me a LOT more tired and frazzled, too," she let out another infectious laugh, rolling her eyes. Andy leaned over her, looking her in the eyes, his face close to hers. "You, out of sorts, ever? Nah, can't picture it."

Sharon smirked. She liked him being that close. She wanted to kiss him. "Oh yes..I'm the pinnacle of calm, always. Especially in tense situations..."

Andy moved closer still, his nose practically touching hers. "That so? I'd like to test that theory.." he muttered, his eyes focused on her lips. Sharon's hand trailed up his thigh as he stared her down. He was excited, that was quite obvious, and she was too.

"Oh, you're more than welcome to te-" Sharon jumped as she kitchen timer began to beep loudly.

Andy rolled his eyes, the moment gone. "Well. Saved by the bell," he laughed, then kissed her cheek quickly, "but that conversation is certainly not over." He jumped up and walked back in to the kitchen to check their dinner. Sharon leaned back on the recliner, feeling tense and excited and nervous and turned on all at once.

"Shar, its ready," Andy called from the kitchen as he set two plates down at the bar. He lit a few candles and switched the kitchen lights off, the house growing darker with the setting sun. He grabbed her a fresh wine glass and filled it with white wine, then poured himself a second glass of red.

Sharon sauntered in to the kitchen. She sighed happily as she looked at Andy sitting at the bar. She couldn't have imagined herself here a week ago; she'd been so intent on taking care of her kids that the thought of dating ever again had escaped her mind. The whole last week had felt like a perfect, overwhelming whirlwind.

They sat and ate and talked at the bar for a long time, sipping several glasses of wine as they went along. Finally, Andy stood up to clear the plates. He'd had less wine than Sharon did and was even almost sober still. It felt good. Foreign, but good. Sharon got up and headed to the bathroom to freshen up, quite tipsy. Andy sighed as he stacked the dishes in the sink, then pulled a bowl of strawberries out of the fridge. He grabbed a can of whipped cream and set it on the bar next to the strawberries, then poured Sharon a glass of water and sat back down.

Sharon returned. She'd taken her hair out of its clip and it was spilling over her bare shoulders. She looked relaxed, comfortable, sexy. "Ooh, dessert." she smirked, standing behind Andy, resting her arms on either side of his chair. Andy nodded, "Yes, you want some?"

Sharon raised her eyebrows and nodded. As Andy cut some strawberries, she grabbed the can of whipped cream. She giggled audibly, then opened her mouth and tilted the can up, spraying some in her mouth.

Andy watched her, turned on. She was sexy even when she was goofing off. "Damn, do I even need to cut these for you?" he laughed, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Sharon laughed, then swallowed the whipped cream. "Nah. Want some?" she grinned, holding the can close to his mouth. Andy held his mouth open and she sprayed the can, leaving a little bit on its lips. Andy swallowed, then grinned. He knew what Sharon was up to and just went along with it. After he swallowed, Sharon smiled at him, "Oops. Missed your mouth a little."

"And what are you going to do about that?" he smirked at her, not moving to wipe the whipped cream from his bottom lip. Sharon winked at him. "Guess we better get you cleaned up..." she said quietly, her hands now on either side of his face. She moved towards him and kissed him softly, playfully. It was quick and sweet.

"There we go.." she grinned, her face still close to his, "all clean." Andy let his hand wander lower down her back as she held her, opening his knees wider to make room for her to stand closer to him. "My mouth may be clean now, Sharon, but my mind certainly is not."

Sharon let her hands rest on his thighs, stepping in to his embrace. "That so?" She asked quietly, pretending to ponder his statement. "Well, what are we going to do about THAT?"

Andy couldn't help but laugh. She was too damn cute for words sometimes. "I can think of a few things..."

Sharon looked him in the eye, quickly turning from cute to sultry. "Oh? Show me."

Andy didn't hesitate. He placed his free hand on the back of her head and pushed her lips in to his, kissing her hard as his fingers mingled with her fiery red hair. Sharon moaned softly and parted her lips to invite a deeper kiss as he pulled her closer to him, his hand gripping her hip hard. He kissed her long and hard, then released her, his breathing faster than before.

"Something like that." He said quietly, looking her up and down. Sharon caught her breath, her bottom half resting against his thighs. "Well...that was nice.." she muttered nervously, "but there has to be a more comfortable place to show me."

Andy grinned at her and stood up, taking her by the hand. "I think you might be on to something, lieutenant. Follow me." As he moved around her he let his hand trace her hips, staying close to her. "You sure?" He asked softly before he moved toward the bedroom.

Sharon nodded and squeezed his hand. She wasn't sure, but she wanted to find out. He watched her for a moment, making sure she was certain. A smile crept across her face and she let his hand go so she could wrap an arm around his waist. With that, Andy pulled her close and led her down the hall, ready to disappear for the night with her.


	4. Chapter 4

My head hurts..." Sharon muttered as she rested her head against the back of her best friend's couch, her daughter splayed out in her lap. Diane laughed as she set another glass of water down for her hung over girlfriend.

"Well, my darling... that's why they make glasses. Its a really novel concept-you pour the wine in to them in increments...stops you from drinking the whole bottle..or two."

Sharon rolled her eyes and rested her hands on her daughter's tiny back, cuddling her closer to her chest and burying her nose in her hair. She loved the way her babies smelled.

It had been a good night, but she really shouldn't have drank so much. The kids would no doubt keep her busy all day and work would come too early tomorrow morning as it was, without losing a whole day to a hang over. Diane plopped down next to Sharon and rested her head on her friend's shoulder. "So... how was it?"

A devious smirk crept across Sharon's face as she recalled the already too distant memories from last night with Andy. "It was good... soo good."

Diane laughed, catching Sharon's drift, "Good enough for a repeat performance?"

Sharon nodded her head idly. She had no idea where they were going, but she knew she liked it. Andy made her feel good and pretty and young; things she hadn't felt about herself at all in the last three years. He was smart, funny, strikingly handsome, good in bed... yes. There would be another time.

"I think so, yea," she hummed, resting her chin atop Diane's long brown curly locks, "he wants to meet the kids. I don't know if I'm ready for that."

Diane raised her head and shot Sharon a careful look. "It seems a little soon, Sharon, but if you're comfortable and you feel like this could last a while, why not? One dinner won't kill them." Diane grunted as Sophia jumped from her mother's lap to her godmother's, getting restless. "Hey, monkey!" she laughed and wrapped her arms around the small, raven haired girl. Sophia settled in on Diane's lap quickly, sticking her thumb in her mouth to suck it as she relaxed. Sharon sighed and shook her head. She'd been trying to break her of that for months. How was it she could run IA for the entire LAPD, but she couldn't get her kid to listen to some tiny request? Motherhood truly was life's biggest mystery.

"On that note-" she grinned, pointing to her daughter, "I think its time for us to get home just in time for naps."

Sharon laid on the couch, nursing her hang over as her kids slept the afternoon away in their beds. She sighed when her phone rang, but decided to answer it anyway. "Hello?" she muttered sleepily, repositioning herself under her blanket as she spoke.

"Dating another police officer, eh?" a menacing voice on the other line grumbled, clearly angry. The hairs on the back of Sharon's neck stood on end. How had he gotten the new phone number?

"William.. what do you want?" She tried to keep her resolve but her voice faltered against her will, her anxiety already apparent. The man on the other end of the line laughed softly.

"I want to know what my whore of a wife is doing leaving our kids to go see another man, Sharon." She closed her eyes, rubbed her palms over her knees as she held the cordless phone between her head and her neck. He was drunk, that was obvious.

"Firstly, do not speak to me that way. Secondly, MY children were safe and sound with a trusted adult. As far as who I was or was not with, that isn't any of your business." How had he gotten her number yet again? Had he been following her again, or did he have yet another connection on the force she didn't know about? William's breathing was heavy on the other line.

"Who you take our children around is my business, Sharon. I'm warning you now, this man comes near the kids, we WILL revisit the custody agreement. Understood, Mrs. Raydor?" Sharon gasped at the sound of Mrs. in front of her name. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Mustering what resolved she had left, Sharon put on her best 'firm' voice. "Listen, William. He has not been around the kids even once. You want to revisit the custody agreement, have your lawyer call Jacob."

William laughed again. Of course she was still using Daddy's money, lawyers, and clout to protect herself. "I see we're still on Daddy's dime then, Sharon. Classy. Nice to see you not leaving the force has paid off for you, dear."

Tears stung at her eyes as she listened to him insult her like he had so many times in the past. It had been months since she'd heard from him. Figures he'd decide to surface now. She let out a deep, throaty sigh. "William, you're drunk. I'm hanging up the phone now."

Before he had a chance to respond, Sharon pulled the phone from her ear and hit the 'end' button. She held it for a moment as she contemplated what to do next, then threw it down next to her. Hearing his voice always brought back the best and worst of the memories. His features were strong in her kid's faces, she saw him there every day, and hearing his voice always made it sting that much more. She'd loved him once, with everything she had, and it was still hard to believe sometimes that they, the great and wonderful Sharon and William, a love that wasn't supposed to end, crumbled before her eyes in eight short years. She closed her eyes and held her head in her hands, trying to physically push the memories out. She sat like that, feeling broken and abandoned and guilty, for what seemed like an eternity. He had such an easy way of making her feel like nothing. What made it worse was that she was hoping it would be Andy on the phone. Resigned to her sadness, she laid down against the soft cushions of the couch, settling in to a sad, fitful doze. Maybe Andy would call later.

-

Andy sat at the bar, several empty rocks glasses in front of him. He'd had a fantastic night with Sharon and another day off tomorrow and after not drinking much all week, it had definitely been time to go out and relax and celebrate. His partner sat to the right of him, chatting up a young blond thing. Andy rested his head on his hand as the room spun, sipping yet another bourbon. _Remember to call Sharon, _he thought to himself as he tossed back drink after drink throughout the night.

By the time Andy made it home it was a quarter past eleven, too late to call Sharon, and he hadn't remembered he needed to do it, anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

It'd been three days since Sharon heard from Andy. She sat at her desk and sipped her coffee, wondering what could possibly have gone wrong. She enjoyed herself so much the weekend before, and she thought he had too. She was a fool to spend the night at his house, obviously. At least, thank god, she hadn't hear from her ex husband again. She had an hour to get it together before she went to the murder room for a meeting with the chief. Hopefully Andy would be out on a call, or at lunch, or maybe, if she was lucky, he'd fallen off the face of the earth all together and she just wouldn't have to deal with him at all. She sighed heavily at her last thought, knowing it wasn't nice-but really? Three days? She knew she was a bit rusty, but she wasn't THAT bad in bed.

-

Andy sat at his desk, head pounding. Maybe that last drink was one drink too many last night. Then again, wasn't there always one too many? He wanted to sleep, he felt like he was going to be sick, and worst of all, he wanted to go back out again. His partner looked over at him and rolled his eyes, a smirk creeping across his face.

"Whats wrong, pal? Stay up too late with that little redhead again?"

Andy shook his head. Sharon. Damn it. He needed to call her. "No, no. Haven't seen her since the weekend."

John raised an eyebrow. Usually it was easy to pass off Andy's drinking as a good time, but he truly looked like hell, and now he was standing beautiful women up for the bottle. "You should probably call her...and have one damn big bouquet sent her way. You haven't talked to her _at all _since she spent the night, Andy?"

"No, I'm sure she's been busy with her kids.. didn't want to bug her and all that." Andy rested his head against his hand, propping himself up on his desk. "I can't stay awake. I'm going to lunch. You coming?"

-

Sharon smoothed down her black pencil skirt and ran her hands over her matching blazer, making sure her pockets weren't bunched around her hips as she sashayed in to the murder room. She hoped beyond hope Andy wouldn't be there but didn't want to take her chances on not looking good if he was, either. Her hair was pulled back and pinned loosely in a half up do and her make up, as usual, was immaculate. At first glance, you'd never be able to tell she was the mother to two little ones; her appearance just didn't fit the bill sometimes. Andy, having just settled back in at his desk from lunch, immediately caught her out of the corner of his eye. "Damn it.." he muttered to himself, then stood up to greet her.

"Well, hello lieutenant Raydor," he said in a friendly enough tone.

Sharon glanced up at him, her dread over seeing him apparent on her face for the quickest moment. As soon as the look of dismay crossed her face, it was gone, replaced with a tight lipped, all business smile. "Afternoon, lieutenant Flynn. I'm here to see the chief."

Andy couldn't hide his look of disappointment. He'd obviously messed up with her this week. "Ah, of course. I'll uh..let him know you're here, ma'am."

She did like the way he said _ma'am._ She liked the way he said everything. Despite the fact that he was obviously a slimy bastard who was in to one night stands, he was a handsome slimy bastard. Charming, too. Sharon sighed, frustrated with herself for entertaining any of these thoughts. She gave him a once over and nodded curtly, crossing her arms.

As Sharon approached the chief's office Andy sat back down at his desk and sighed. He might as well kiss her goodbye. No way she was going to give him another chance. "Well..." he muttered, looking over at John, "THAT'S the little redhead I almost dated."

John laughed under his breath and shook his head. "You know, Andy..give up the booze a little bit and remember to call her again and you might still be able to date her."

Andy threw him a sideways glare, "Nah. I blew it." His disappointment in himself was obvious. Was the alcohol really becoming a problem? He just enjoyed going out, what was wrong with that? And yet, there was something obviously wrong with it because he'd let five and a half feet of perfect walk in to his life and right back out of it because he had a date with Jose a Johnny instead.

John cut his thoughts off as he tossed a file on his desk. "She's cute. Even if you don't date her, you should apologize somehow. Asking a woman to spend the night and dumping her on her ass is not n-i-c-e."

"I'm well aware, John," Andy grunted as he reached for the file and opened it. He began to read, but was distracted by the sound of Sharon's velvety voice radiating through the walls from the chief's office. He could hear her laughing, sighing. She sounded good.

"Well-hopefully not another late night, chief. The kids are missing food that doesn't come from a bag...but I promise, one way or another, it'll be on your desk by tomorrow afternoon." Sharon's ease with the chief took Andy off guard. He knew his chief was Sharon's mentor in the force, but her warm tone with him was such a contrast to the one she'd used with Andy it stung a bit.

Sharon walked out of the chief's office and glanced over at Andy, making eye contact with him for a brief moment. There was something sad in her eyes as she she contemplated him. She gave a small shrug and shook her head, as if admitting defeat, before she sauntered out of the murder room with her arms crossed in front of her. It was a short moment, but the gravity of it hit Andy hard. She liked him. She liked him a lot, and she'd shown him that, trusted him, and he disrespected her and hurt before he even really had the chance to know her. He shook his head, angry at himself, then grabbed one of the cordless phones and headed in to the hallway to make a phone call.

-

Sharon pulled her skirt off and threw it across her bed. It had been a long day and she had that damn report to fill out for the chief after the kids were in bed. It was already 6:30 and there was dinner to be had and baths to be given before she could even think about bed time. Sighing heavily, she grabbed a pair of police issued sweats out of her drawer and pulled them up over her slender legs. She pulled her silk top off, discarding it with her skirt on the bed, before pulling a tight fitting t-shirt on. Okay. Dinner time. What the hell was she going to make for dinner? She needed to go shopping, but that took time, which was something she'd been seriously short on lately. At least there was enough in the kitchen to make a couple more healthy meals. That would get them to the weekend.

As she headed in to the kitchen, the doorbell rang, a long and loud chime. She sighed and rushed to the door, really hoping it wasn't any kind of visitor she'd have to entertain. She looked through the peep hole, then opened the door for a young delivery boy, clad in jeans, a t-shirt, and a hat. The only thing that tipped him off as a delivery boy was the catering bag he had flung over his shoulder. "Can I help you?" She asked politely.

"Uh, yes. Are you Sharon Raydor, miss?" The boy's voice was still fairly high pitched. He couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen. What on earth was he doing working?

Sharon nodded her head, quickly losing patience, "Yes, I am. Can I help you?"

The boy blushed furiously and grabbed for the catering bag, handing her a note from the front pocket. "This is a special delivery from a friend. He says don't worry, he doesn't often use me for child labor, and he hopes you enjoy the dinner." Before Sharon could protest, the boy shoved the note and catering bag into her hands and turned around to walk away. If she wasn't so flabbergasted she might have thought to go after him. Instead, she slammed the door and set the bag down on the dining room table, grabbing for her card.

_Dear Sharon,  
I'm an ass. I should have called you three days ago. I know its late, but I wanted to say I enjoyed every moment with you, and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. I'm sorry I blew it.  
I gathered from your meeting today you'd probably be working tonight. I made dinner for you and the kids-all homemade, and there's even macaroni and cheese so maybe they'll eat it (and of course something green for you).  
You looked stunning today. Can't say I'm sorry enough._

x  
Andy

p.s. The kid is my nephew. No one's violating any child labor laws, so stop contemplating who you need to arrest.

Sharon smiled despite herself. She was still mad at him, most definitely, but this was a nice gesture. She looked over the card one more time, then set it down so she could open the catering bag. Inside there was a bowl of macaroni and cheese, a large chicken and mozzarella salad, some garlic bread, mixed vegetables, and a small chocolate cake. She was shocked. She'd never expected him to remember her favorite kind of salad, much less her kids' favorite food. How could he be so thoughtful and such an ass all at once? She sighed, completely exasperated, then set the table for dinner with her kids.

-

The next day Andy came in to the murder room to find a memo on his desk, clearly marked IA.

_Dear Lieutenant Flynn,  
While food (especially Italian) is one of many avenues to my heart, not calling me back is not. Dinner was sweet, thank you for it. We need to talk about what happened. I'm still mad at you... Coffee at 4?_

-S.

Andy folded the memo up and shoved it in to his brief case with a sigh of relief. Maybe he hadn't messed this up completely after all.


End file.
